Zarif: West Should Facilitate, Not Dictate Syria Political Solution

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif reiterated the necessity for finding a political solution to the crisis in Syria, stressing that Western governments should facilitate such an initiative instead of dictating it.

Zarif posted a message on his Twitter account on Tuesday evening after the conclusion of a meeting with his Russian and Turkish counterparts in Geneva, held to discuss a new Syrian constitutional committee.

“In Geneva alongside Russian and Turkish counterparts to move forward on a constitutional committee to resolve Syria crisis. We always insisted on a political solution led and owned by Syrians. The West has now been compelled to accept this. But it needs to facilitate; not dictate,” Zarif said in the message.

The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey –the three guarantors of a ceasefire regime in Syria- held a meeting with Staffan de Mistura, the outgoing UN Special Envoy for Syria, in Geneva on Tuesday for talks on the lineup of a new constitutional committee for Syria.